Tea Review #1: Strawberry Lemonade

Today I will be reviewing Teavanna's Strawberry Lemonade tea. It's an herbal blend that I tried for the first time last night. Last night I had it hot and today I had it over ice. I figured readers might like both ways, so I decided to review it for both cold drinkers and hot. Now, I love this blend of fruits because unlike black tea, herbal tea has no caffeine so I can drink it no matter what time of day it is. I know some readers might not have any issues with caffeine keeping them up late at night, but for me I know that's a big issue. It runs in the family too, if you were to give my Aunt Bev something that has caffeine in it but you told her it was decaf-she would call you up at 4 am and tell you that it's your fault she can't sleep! I don't blame her though, caffeine too late is known to cause you to toss and torn at night when you should be sound asleep.

Let's begin with what this tea blend looks like before it's submerged in hot water. Smelling it is an experience on its own. It's very sweet and aromatic.

Those big pieces are what makes up the sweet flavor of the tea. The biggest pieces of fruit on top there are apples, followed by strawberry pieces, rose petals, and marigold petals. After placing the tea above in the filter of my teapot, I pour boiling hot water over the tea and steep for 5 minutes. Here's what the tea looks like while steeping:

Let's get to the good part. After steeping this beauty for 5 minutes I poured one cup for me and one small cup for my mother. This tea has a light, citrusy taste and it isn't as sweet as it smells. I'd advise adding a tiny bit of sugar to really bring out the flavors of the apple, strawberry and rose petals. If you're craving something sweet but don't want the calories this is a great option for you. Don't fancy a hot drink? To me, this tea is even better cold. Just brew some normally and pour it into a pitcher or a cup and stick it in the fridge. However, if you want to add a little sugar I advise doing it before the tea cools down, because that way the sugar will mix into the tea better. If the tea is cold the sugar doesn't blend in all the way. If you don't want calories like I do, add some Sweet and Low or Splenda to get the sweeter taste without the calories. The colder version of this tea tastes a little more sweet and very refreshing. This tea reminds me of summer, I can't wait until it's warm out and I can drink some of this Strawberry Lemonade tea at the beach.

Tip: like Arnold Palmers? (half black iced tea, half lemonade) mixing this Strawberry lemonade tea with some black tea will make what tastes like an Arnold Palmer. Iced or hot, it all tastes delicious. I would recommend some Ceylon or English breakfast when it comes to black tea. Put both the Strawberry Lemonade tea and black tea into the same teapot and steep for 5 minutes. If you want it hot, serve regularly, or if you want it cold, stick it in the fridge for a couple hours for maximum enjoyment.

I give this tea 4 stars out of 5. The extra star would have been given, however I feel that the smell of the tea leads it to be more sweet than it actually tastes. It is a lot more citrusy than expected. Thanks for tuning in!

My next review will be on Blueberry Jam, a black tea with whole blueberries in it! Yum!
This is me having the Strawberry Lemonade tea below. Thanks for stopping by! :)

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